An exhibition showcasing some of the most hilariously awful record covers ever created has opened at Mansfield Museum in Nottinghamshire. The display features hundreds of album sleeves collected by Steve Goldman, who began his unusual hobby after purchasing a particularly dreadful cover four decades ago.
The Infamous Peter Rabbitt Cover
The exhibition's centerpiece is the 1979 album Roadstar by the California rock band Peter Rabbitt. The cover shows all five band members with their faces superimposed onto rabbit bodies, with former lead singer JT Thompson emerging from a top hat. Thompson, who traveled from San Diego for the opening, described the cover as "funny as hell." He admitted the band had no idea the label would produce such a design, as it was released after they had already split up.
How the Collection Began
Goldman purchased the rabbit album for 10 pence 40 years ago because its cover made him laugh uncontrollably. He later lost the record but never forgot it. With the advent of the internet, he tracked down another copy. "When it arrived it was one of the happiest moments of my life," he said. That evening, he decided to start collecting terrible LP covers. His rule is simple: if it makes him laugh, he adds it to his collection.
Notable Exhibits
Among the albums on display are Oil and Vinegar by Dave McKenna/The Wilbur Little Quarter, featuring a naked couple with a possibly erotic use of chard; Songs for Gay Dogs by Paddy Roberts; Do You Want to Touch Me by Johnny Carroll; and Kris Jensen Sings: Torture. Goldman's current favorite is All My Friends Are Dead by Freddie Gage, showing the Southern Baptist evangelist kneeling at a grave. He paid £110 for it, calling it "worth every penny."
Risque Covers Excluded
Due to the likelihood of child visitors, some of the more risqué covers from Goldman's collection are not on display. Missing are Letzte Naach by German folk singer Kingsize Dick and Let Me Touch Him by the Minister's Quartet.
Modern Terrible Covers
While most albums are from the 1970s and 1980s, contemporary artists also produce terrible covers. Goldman points to Norway's Satanic Panic Attack album Handgemeng, where the five band members strip naked and cuddle on a rug. "They just look comical," he said, laughing.
Visitor Participation
Visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite worst album cover and participate in a poll on divisive albums, such as Prince's Lovesexy, which features the singer reclining naked on a giant lily. Goldman enjoys watching people's reactions, hoping they will laugh. He recalled a friend who saw The Nimble Fingers of Jean Pierre Jumez, featuring a concert guitarist in a dinner jacket but no trousers. "She laughed more than I've seen her laugh in her life," Goldman said. "That's when I decided I needed to exhibit them. We still don't know why he's not wearing trousers, I'm afraid."
The exhibition runs at Mansfield Museum and Art Gallery from Saturday 6 June. It previously appeared in Huddersfield and will later travel to the Edinburgh Fringe, displayed at the Assembly Rooms Studios Bar in George Square.
